


Where You'll Find Home

by MysticElf21



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Rua and Ruka's Parents A+ Parenting, so sweet it will give you cavities
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:13:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24887389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysticElf21/pseuds/MysticElf21
Summary: Yusei never considered himself to be the father type.  He thought that was Crow, with his tendency to collect kids like they were little chicks.  Lua and Luka disagree.Or:5 times Lua and Luka called Yusei dad and one time it was official.
Relationships: Fudou Yuusei & Ruka, Rua & Fudou Yuusei, Rua & Ruka (Yu-Gi-Oh)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61





	Where You'll Find Home

**Author's Note:**

> Inspiration for part of this fic comes from prompts here:https://alloftheprompts.tumblr.com/post/122748373772/parenting-writing-prompts
> 
> I was annoyed with the parental neglect shown in the anime, and honestly Yusei was basically these kids' father in the anime. Dad!Yusei is a hill I will die on.  
> Without further ado, enjoy!

0.

“I don’t get their parents,” Crow said, watching as the two kids bounced from the garage.

“Hmm?” Yusei said, mind partially on his engine schematics.

Crow blinked and then glanced after them. “Are they not around?”

Yusei hesitated, setting down the wrench he had just picked up. “They told me about this when I first met them.” He said. “Their parents travel a lot, leaving them home alone. That’s why they were able to take me in without any adults asking questions.” Crow scowled. “What?”

“Rua and Ruka are good kids. Sure, Rua’s a little cocky, and Ruka could use more confidence, but with what they’ve gone through? At their age?” Crow said. “They’re brave as hell. Any parent should be glad to have them, not just...leaving them in an empty house all day while they’re jet setting.” Crow’s lip curled in distaste.

Yusei paused. “They have us.” He said. He had never thought about it before. The idea of parents had simply never occurred to him-he had grown up in Satellite. He knew more orphans than parents and every friend he’d ever had growing up-Crow, Jack, Kiryu-were all orphans in the same boat as him. Sure, he knew about Aki’s parents, who didn’t seem the best but did genuinely care for their daughter and were working on repairing their relationship.

He hadn’t thought about Rua and Ruka’s lack of parents. Hadn’t even found it odd. But a brief flare of anger rose in him. They still had their parents, he remembered, but their parents might not have ever existed for all the impact on their children’s lives. If he had had a child, he would never have simply left them behind. To simply not care...it was unimaginable to him. Yusei’s grip tightened on his motorcycle. “They have us,” Yusei repeated, more firmly this time.

He didn’t notice the thoughtful look Crow gave him. “Yeah. They have us, don’t they?”

1.

“Yusei!” Ruka shouted, running down the stairs, and Yusei glanced away from his motorcycle, setting down his wrench.

“Ruka?” He asked, standing up and gently holding her by the shoulders. “What’s wrong?”

“Rua,” she said, her eyes glassy with tears. “He’s sick, and the doctors said it’ll be fine, but…” She bit her lip. 

Yusei knew what she wasn’t saying. About how the doctors had been puzzled by her condition. About how they hadn’t been able to help her. “I’ll come visit Rua, okay?” She brightened up at that. “Is he at your place or the hospital?”

“Our place...the hospital said he’d be fine to leave.”

“Then we’ll go and be with him.” Yusei said. “It’ll be fine, because you know Rua won’t leave you unprotected for long.”

She giggled. “Yeah, he won’t.”

Yusei smiled. “It’ll be fine.”

“You’re right. Thanks, dad.” She said, before blushing as soon as she realized what she had said. Yusei paused, hands still on her shoulders.

“Right,” Yusei said, and no matter what Crow would say after the fact, he was most definitely not blushing. “Let’s go check on your brother.”

2.

“I summon Morphtronic Scopen!” Rua declared, as he slapped the card down on the table. He’d complained about not using the Duel Disks, but Yusei had been strict.

_ No straining yourself until you feel better _ , he had scolded him, and they had settled down to play a quieter game, with Ruka watching.

“Its attack position effect activates.” Rua said, beaming as he took another card from his hand. “I special summon a Level 4 Morphtronic from my hand. Now, machine and might combine to bring peace to the world! Synchro Summon, Power Tool Dragon!” Rua said, his eyes lighting up, and for that one moment he might as well have not been sick at all.

“Power Tool Dragon’s effect lets me bring an equip spell to my hand. Power Search!” Rua added the card to his hand before equipping it to his dragon. “Double Tool C&D gives Power Tool Dragon an extra thousand attack points on my turn, so it’s more than capable of taking out your Junk Berserker. Attack! Crafty Break!”

“Scrap-Iron Scarecrow.” Yusei said, flipping his set card. “Your attack is negated, and this card is set again.”

“Aww, man! I should’ve known that’d be your set card.” Rua said, pouting. “All right, I’ll end my turn.”

“Draw,” Yusei said and glanced at his hand. “I summon Junk Synchron and bring Speed Warrior back from the graveyard. When I have a tuner on my field, I can special summon Quillbolt Hedgehog from the graveyard as well. I tune level 3 Junk Synchron with level 2 Speed Warrior! Synchro Summon! Junk Warrior!”

Rua’s eyes widened. “Junk Warrior gains the attack of my level two or lower monsters, including Quillbolt Hedgehog. The Power of Fellowship!”

“Junk Berserker and Junk Warrior attack Power Tool Dragon.” Yusei declared, having to attack twice to destroy the monster since Power Tool Dragon could prevent its destruction once with an equip spell. Rua groaned as he let his monster and equip spell slide into the graveyard. “And then, Quillbolt Hedgehog attacks you directly.”

Ruka hummed as she wrote the final lifepoint totals down. “That’s the final attack, Rua.”

Rua groaned as he leaned back. “Really, dad? Can’t you let me win once?”

“You know that’s not how the game’s played, Rua,” Yusei said, and if he was blushing this time…

Well, Crow definitely wasn’t there to see it.

3.

The mark glowed, the bright red light casting shadows across Yusei’s face and highlighting the bags around his eyes that showed he had just woken up. Yusei frowned. The mark’s glow really ever meant one thing; trouble for one of their group. He laid his other hand across his mark, closing his eyes and concentrating.

The answer as to who came less as a name and more as a rush of sensations.  _ Pinkfeartirednesspinkexhaustionsmallclawfearsweetlikesugarsmall. _ Yusei stiffened. ruka. He snatched his jacket off the chair and darted up and out of his bed. He rushed through his door and revved up his motorcycle, feeling the engine hum as always under his hands.

He knew the shortest and quickest routes to Rua and Ruka’s by heart. As his motorcycle tore down the street, likely waking up everyone and getting more than a few people angry at him, he glanced back at the glowing mark of the Dragon’s Head, seeing in his mind the outline of a claw overlay itself on top of it.

When he finally arrived at Ruka’s, it seemed like it had taken far too long despite how fast his D-Wheel had been roaring. He pulled the key out of his pocket and unlocked their door, slowly opening it. His eyes darted around the dim living room, finding nothing out of place, until a scream came from the bedroom.

Yusei tensed, muscles ready to fight, as he slammed open the twins’ door. Rua, awake, kneeled by his sister’s bedside, holding her hand gently in his. He looked back in alarm when the door opened before relaxing at the sight of Yusei. “She’s having a nightmare,” he whispered, glancing back at his sister in concern.

Sweat beaded across Ruka’s forehead as she tossed and turned, her blankets and sheets tangling around her. Her arm glowed, the red light showing her distress. “No…don’t…” she whimpered. Yusei’s forehead creased as he brushed Ruka’s hair back.

“Ruka.” He said, loud and clear. What did Martha do when they had nightmares? Yusei couldn’t remember. He was sure that they had them, but Jack had quickly grown too prideful to admit to it, Yusei had learned to hide his emotions quickly, and Crow had always been too concerned for all of the other kids to worry about himself. “Ruka.” He repeated, leaning closer to her. “Whatever you’re seeing, it isn’t real. It’s a nightmare. Rua and I are right here, and you’re safe at home.”

“Yusei…” Ruka whispered, her eyes fluttering. “Dad…” She turned in their direction, Rua gripping her hand tighter. She blinked, the red light from the marks fading. She frowned. “It was a dream?”

“Yeah, you were having a nightmare.” Rua said, happier now that his sister was awake. “It was pretty bad. You were screaming in your sleep.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Yusei asked gently.

Ruka sat up in her bed, leaning against the pillows at the head of her bed. She glanced down and fingered a strand of her hair as she turned Yusei’s question over in her mind. “It was the spirit world,” she said at last, “and everything was dying. My spirits were there and I couldn’t help them.” She bit her lip and tears slid down her cheeks. “You…” she looked at her brother. “You were there.”

Yusei rubbed her back in soothing circles as she gasped, letting out sobs. Euka wrapped her arm around him, clinging to him in a hug. Yusei made what he thought were some vaguely comforting noises and words, and Rua had never let go of her hand as he leaned against his sister. 

Until the sun rose, that was how they stayed, warm and together.

4.

“What the hell is a Satellite like you doing at Rua and Ruka’s place?” Yusei startled, having been caught stepping out of the twins’ place. He had had a rare day off from his work and had decided to visit, where Rua had begged him to help with some of his dueling homework. He’d agreed; it was hard to say no to Rua. 

The woman next door glared at him, her eyes narrowed and sunglasses slipping down her nose. Her eyes kept flicking over to the criminal mark on Yusei’s face, and her fingers were moving towards her purse.

“I’m a friend of the twins.” Yusei said quickly, trying to defuse the situation. “I was stopping by to check on them.”

The woman scowled. “Sure you are! How would trash like you ever be friends with good kids like Rua and Ruka? You’d just be a bad influence on them anyways!”

“Ma’am,” Yusei said. “I assure you-“

She gasped, eyes widening. “You’re a thief who broke in, didn’t you? I saw the toolbox and the motorcycle parked outside. Just wait til I call Security on you-“

Yusei’s eyes widened, one hand instinctively going to his mark. It wouldn’t happen. Trudge would intervene if they arrived, and no doubt scold the woman. His mark still itched.

“Leave him alone!” Rua said, the door to the twins opening with Ruka standing beside him.

“He’s not a criminal,” she added, glaring at the woman. “He visits us all the time! He’s always welcome at our place.”

The woman put on a sickly sweet smile. “Kids, I’m sure you think he can be trusted-

“We don’t think, we know.” Rua said crossly.

“And if you call Security on him, we’ll tell them you made a false report and wasted their time. How do you think they’ll react to that?” Ruka said, matching the woman’s smile with one of her own.

The woman’s scowl slipped back onto her face. “Fine, I was just trying to help, but if you’re going to be ungrateful brats, then you can just do whatever you want! Don’t come crying to me when he hurts you.”

Her door slammed shut. Yusei breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he said, smiling at the twins, “she wouldn’t have listened to me no matter what I said.”

Rua scowled. “She was rude.”

Ruka, always the more perceptive one, looked up at Yusei. “Are you all right?” She asked.

“Of course.” He said. “Rua, is your homework done yet?”

Rua frowned. “I, er…”

“Rua…”

“Fine, dad.” He muttered, turning back into the apartment. Ruka giggled. She glanced up at Yusei, ran up to him, and put her arms around his waist.

“Thanks, dad.” She said. Yusei glanced away at the woman’s door and then back. The twins had started calling him that, especially while he was scolding them. 

He knew why, but… well, at least Crow hadn’t found out. Yet.

He patted Ruka on the head. “It’s fine. You go with your brother, okay?” Ruka beamed and headed back inside, giving Yusei one last wave as she left. Yusei smiled softly as he climbed on his motorcycle, revving up the engine. “They’ll probably only call me that anyways,” he murmured, “until their parents come back.”

5.

“No!” Rua burst out on the call. “We don’t want to leave!”

“Son, we know we’ve left you alone-“

“Left us alone? Left us alone? You don’t even know a thing about our lives! You didn’t come to check on us even while Neo Domino City was under attack! Yusei’s been more of a real dad to us than you’ve ever been! He helps us with our homework, he scolds us when we get into trouble, he picks us up when it’s needed! All you’ve ever done for us is sign forms!” Rua said, his hands balled into fists . Tears were beginning to leak from the corners of his eyes, and he cursed them with the words he had learned from Officer Trudge when the burly man didn’t know they were around.

“Rua’s right,” Ruka added defiantly. “You just left us here. You didn’t even hire anyone to check in on us.”

Their mother put a hand on their father’s shoulder. “Darlings,” she said, “we know it’ll be an adjustment, and we know we haven’t always been there.” She bit her lip, brushing an elegant braid off her shoulder and revealing a wine red dress strap. “But that does not mean we don’t care for you or that we don’t love you.”

A door creaked open, and Rua and Ruka both startled, realizing it was coming from their house. Yusei stepped into the room, his hands covered with grease and his standard blue jacket on. “Rua? Ruka?” He asked, stopping dead at the scene. Rua was crying, but as soon as Yusei walked in he had tried hurriedly to wipe them away, leaving trails across his cheeks. Ruka was looking down, her arms wrapped around herself. In front of them, the video screen was filled with the image of both of their parents, with the same teal green hair. Yusei’s eyes narrowed.

“What’s going on?” He asked mildly.

“You,” their father said, acid lurking beneath his tone, “must be  _ Yusei _ .” His eyes darted to the criminal mark on Yusei’s face. “Our children were just telling us about you.”

“Why is Rua crying, then?” Yusei said, his patience, such as it was, for pleasantries having expired.

“‘M not crying.” Rua muttered, wiping at his eyes again.

Yusei glanced at him and then back at the screen. Their father huffed. “We were inviting them to come with us,” he explained briefly. “They don’t seem to have taken well to the idea.” Privately, given that Rua was in tears, Yusei thought that that was quite the understatement.

“If they don’t want to come,” Yusei said, “then why can’t they stay here?”

“They can’t make a decision like that.” Their father said, straightening his tie. “We’re their parents. If we ask them to come with us, then they’ll come with us.”

“Oh?” Yusei said. “You say they can’t make a decision like that. Even though you’ve been leaving them alone to make their own decisions about their lives.”

Their father’s face turned red and then purple. “Now listen here, you criminal, I don’t know why Rua and Ruka have even been letting you in the house, but it ends today.” Yusei’s eyes narrowed. “You alone are evidence that they can’t make their own decisions, and that we were foolish in trusting them to be responsible. They will be coming with us, and that is that.”

Their mother nodded firmly, in agreement with him on the matter. The screen turned black as the video call ended.

Rua kicked the wall. “We don’t want to leave,” Ruka muttered.

Yusei put his hands on his shoulders. “Then we won’t let them take you away.” He said, his eyes narrowed.

“But they’re our parents.” Rua said, covering his eyes from Yusei.

“And we have a lot of good friends.” Yusei said. It was time, he thought, to pay a visit to Senator Izayoi.

+1.  
“We won!” Rua said, bouncing up and down on the court steps. “I can’t believe it, we won!”

Yusei stared at the paper in his hands. Custody papers. Senator Izayoi had assured him he would look into Rua and Ruka’s parents, saying something about violations of the Child Welfare Act. But he had gotten custody.

He was technically their father now. He was their father now. He was a  _ parent. _

Yusei’s brain was normally very quick, from planning out counters in Duel Monsters to working through engineering problems. Now it seemed like a broken record player. He was a father.

“Well, well, Yusei, what is Martha going to think?” Crow said, shaking his head. “Becoming a father and not even telling her.”

“Hey, um, dad?”

“You don’t have to call me that.” Yusei replied automatically, gripping the paper hard enough to crinkle and staring at it so hard the heat of his stare could have set it on fire.

Rua fidgeted and kicked his foot against the concrete. “I want to, though.” He murmured. Ruka stood next to him, beaming up at Yusei.

Yusei took a breath and forcibly relaxed his shoulders. “Oh.” He said. Crow patted him on the back and walked off, but that joking, mischievous smile remained on his face. This news would probably reach everyone in Neo Domino by sunset. Yusei only hoped Aki didn’t get the wrong idea. As he had learned, she could be scary when she was angry.

“So to celebrate, can we get ice cream?” Rua asked.

Yusei paused. “Sure.” He said.

“Thanks, dad.” Rua said, eyes gleaming.

“Sweet! I’ll race you there!”

“Rua, wait up!” Yusei called out, smiling, as he tucked away the paper. It wasn’t as important as he had thought at first after all. He was a father, but he only now realized he’d been one long before a court case and an official document declared it so.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you're wondering, I headcanon that after this Aki ends up becoming the 'mother' of this group, because I'm a Faithshipper and also I think it'd be cool if Aki and Ruka had been able to talk to each other about their powers more in the anime.  
> As always, concrit and comments welcome.


End file.
